Motorcyclist accused of 300 km/h ride appears in B.C. court

VANCOUVER — A British Columbia motorcyclist accused of racing along a highway at 300 kilometres an hour is now facing the slow wheels of the justice system.

Randy Scott, 25, appeared in a court in Kelowna, B.C., Wednesday afternoon on a charge of dangerous driving related to an April YouTube video.

The video shows the motorcycle’s speedometer needle climbing as the driver weaves in and out of traffic along a Vancouver Island highway.

Scott is now scheduled to appear in Victoria provincial court Aug. 16 at 2 p.m. and will be released from custody once he provides $500 cash bail and a $2,000 surety, said Neil MacKenzie, a spokesman for the Criminal Justice Branch.

Among the conditions of his release, Scott must not be found in the driver’s seat of any motor vehicle, including motorcycles, scooters or all-terrain vehicles, he added.

Saanich Police Sgt. Dean Jantzen said Scott surrendered to Kelowna Mounties on Tuesday night after investigators “shook the tree,” visiting friends, family and associates of the motorcyclist who were living around Victoria, B.C., Kelowna and Edmonton, Alta.

“I think this is indicative of the lengths that we will go to for incidents like this to really do our utmost to bring someone to account for something like this,” said Jantzen.

“And I think this is an excellent example of dedication and commitment of those men and women in our traffic safety unit who really championed this.”

The investigation began after somebody posted the video to an anonymous YouTube account April 8.

Within weeks, investigators had determined the video was shot on a local highway, identified its owner, an Esquimalt woman, and seized the motorcycle.

On July 10, the Crown charged Scott with one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle under the Criminal Code.

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